Croton suaveolens |
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scented croton |
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Habit | Shrubs, 2–5 dm, monoecious. |
Stems | dichotomously much branched proximally, coarsely stellate-tomentose. |
Leaves | often clustered near inflorescences; stipules each 5–10 glandular papillae, 0.2–0.5 mm; petiole 0.5–1.5 cm, 1/4 leaf blade length, glands absent at apex; blade obovate or ovate to broadly elliptic, 2–5.4 × 1–3.6 cm, base obtuse, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute, abaxial surface pale green to cream, adaxial surface darker green, both densely stellate-hairy. |
Inflorescences | bisexual or staminate, racemes, 1–3 cm, staminate flowers 6–10, pistillate flowers 1–3. |
Pedicels | staminate 3–5 mm, pistillate 1–2 mm. |
Staminate flowers | sepals 5, 2 mm, abaxial surface stellate-hairy; petals 5, spatulate or obovate, 0.4–0.6 mm, abaxial surface densely villous at base and along margins, otherwise glabrous; stamens 12–16. |
Pistillate flowers | sepals 5, equal, 2.5 mm, margins entire, apex straight to slightly incurved, abaxial surface stellate-hairy; petals glandular papillae; ovary 3-locular; styles 3, 4–6 mm, 2-fid to base, terminal segments 6. |
Capsules | 7–10 × 6–8 mm, smooth; columella apex with 3 rounded, inflated lobes. |
Seeds | 5.5–7 × 4–5 mm, shiny. |
Croton suaveolens |
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Phenology | Flowering Apr–Nov. |
Habitat | Rocky slopes, foothills. |
Elevation | 1500–2000 m. (4900–6600 ft.) |
Distribution |
TX; Mexico (Coahuila, Chihuahua, Nuevo León) |
Discussion | Croton suaveolens is found in the flora area only in trans-Pecos Texas. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 224. |
Parent taxa | |
Sibling taxa | |
Name authority | Torrey: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 194. (1859) |
Web links |